The World's Biggest Problems

1. Climate change

Global warming is something that people often deny is occurring, but there is significant amounts of scientific evidence that is is. The rising global temperature is on its way to creating unbearable weather conditions, crop failures, disease outbreaks, and water shortages worldwide. The emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are contributing to the rise in temperature.

There are many things that each person can do to reduce his/her carbon footprint. Some easy ways to do this are to carpool with friends to an event instead of driving separate cars, riding your bike instead of driving a car, and by reducing waste.


2. Denial of climate change    

This I feel is just as big of an issue as climate change itself. People look to the media for truths about issues, and it is amazing that even though global warming is backed with scientific evidence that people still don't believe it's happening. You would think that the big, smart politicians would be smart enough to see fact from opinion. 

My solution to this issue is a very difficult one to combat, because people will always be biased in the news channels they listen to and also sometimes tend to only think about money instead of saving the planet. Makes total sense. I think a big step to take in combatting this is to educate people about the facts, starting with in schools. Learning about the issues is the first step, because a lot of people do not understand the detrimental effect that climate change is having on the planet. For example, the Great Barrier Reef is deteriorating because corals can only live at a temperature that is only 2 degrees away from the temperature that would cause them to die. And they are a vital part of our marine ecosystem, oh yeah, did I mention that's where all of our oxygen comes from? So the small changes in the global temperature are in fact very large. Accept that global warming exists and start doing something about it!

3. Water crisis

Water is an increasingly scarce resource. Pollution is causing there to be less available sources for clean water, and the growing population demands more of it. Two billion people lack access to clean water. "Water is the foundation of all life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it."

When I studied abroad in Australia, I stayed in the Outback at a place that was completely powered by solar panels and generators, and the only water they used was rainwater. They saved rainwater in a huge basin that was used for showering, cooking, cleaning, using the bathroom, and drinking. When we stayed there, they told us to be very cautious of the amount of water that we use, because once it's gone, it's gone until the next rainfall. They are in the middle of a drought. So rain doesn't come very often. It was very eye-opening for me because people in the states take the fresh water they use for granted and think it will always be there. The Florida Aquifer can only give so much before it runs out. We need to be more aware as a country about this water crisis, and can start just by taking shorter showers! 

4. Increasing population

More than 7 billion people are living in the world today, and the number is growing. This is raising a lot of problems around the globe. All of the world's resources are being used up and if we aren't careful, they will be gone or extremely expensive very soon! Over 1 billion people do not have enough food and clean water, global warming is increasing, and energy sources are becoming scarcer. There are many more problems to list.

A solution to this is providing countries such as Africa with better contraceptives and education about birth control methods. Also, awareness of the environmental cost of overpopulation can help.

5. Terrorism

National Security is important to all Americans. We want to feel safe in our country and trust our leaders, and right now there is a lot of hesitation towards both of these issues. With the attacks on Paris, countless shootings, and bombings that have happened, the security of the nation is being questioned and will remain a major concern until the problem is combatted with serious measures. 

A solution to this problem is to make sure the leaders we elect place the safety of the citizens as their number one priority.

6. Poverty

More than 1.3 billion people today live in extreme poverty, most living on less than $1.25 per day. Access to clean water is very limited, which causes spread of disease, famine, and even death. In 2011, 165 million children under the age of 5 were stunted due to chronic malnutrition. 

One way to help this problem is to create more jobs, and also to provide free education so that people are capable of getting jobs.

7. Homelessness

Over half a million people are homeless, and one quarter of homeless people are children. Tens of thousands of veterans are homeless. These people are unable to find jobs and cannot afford to pay rent. Unemployment also hurts the economy. 

Providing adequate housing or making more housing available can alleviate this problem. Also, supporting local homeless shelters can help and be a way to give back to the community.

8. Species Extinction

Human activities are causing massive extinction of species that are vital to life on earth. Rising ocean temperatures reduce reproduction of plankton, which hurts the entire marine ecosystem. Commercial fishing is depleting the ocean of fish, and shark finning is killing the apex predator of the oceans. The ocean will not be able to maintain itself without sharks or plankton. Agricultural practices are also destroying micro ecosystems that are vital to life on land. 

My solution to this problem is education. A lot of people simply do not know how big of an issue species extinction is. By providing a means for them to be educated and informed about why it is such a big issue can hopefully change people's mindsets and encourage them to be more aware of how their actions can affect other living things.

9. Unsupervised youth

I'm a firm believer that a parent's role in a child's life can lead them to either success or failure. I'm not saying that their aren't exceptions, but statistically, a parent's influence and involvement in his/her child's life can affect their well-being. Violence and crime in children and adults can be linked back to how they were raised.

Educating soon-to-be-parents about the impact that they will have on their child's life is a good first solution to this issue. Also, people having dinner conversations instead of handing their child an iPad can also help with this issue.

10. Pollution

Whether it's gas emissions or agricultural runoff, pollution occurs from human activity everywhere and affects the world on a global scale. Pollution causes health problems for people, destroys ecosystems, and feeds global warming. 

Measures to take to reduce pollution are the three Rs, implementing sustainable farming practices, and just being more sustainable in every day life.